Human rights

#FreeAlaa: Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah on hunger strike protesting his continued illegal detention
#FreeAlaa: Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah on hunger strike protesting his continued illegal detention 30 April 2020 Various

In this joint statement, APC and other civil society organisations, lawyers, journalists and activists call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Alaa Abdel Fattah, our courageous friend, human rights activist and blogger.

KICTANet proposals to the Kenyan judiciary on the use of video conferencing in judicial proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic
KICTANet proposals to the Kenyan judiciary on the use of video conferencing in judicial proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic 30 April 2020 Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet)

In response to the rapid adoption of video conferencing technologies for court proceedings, KICTANet has submitted a series of recommendations to the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya to deal with the challenges involved in moving open court procedures to virtual sessions.

Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh audit of attacks on the media during the 30 days of lockdown
Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh audit of attacks on the media during the 30 days of lockdown 30 April 2020 Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh

The Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh, of which APC member VOICE is part, expresses deep concern over the series of attacks on journalists during the 30 days of countrywide lockdown imposed by the government for containment of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Egyptian Alaa Abdel Fattah on hunger strike to protest conditions in prison amid pandemic
Egyptian Alaa Abdel Fattah on hunger strike to protest conditions in prison amid pandemic 28 April 2020 APCNews

Renowned Egyptian blogger and political prisoner Alaa Abdel Fattah started a hunger strike on 30 March in Cairo’s Tora maximum security prison to protest the dire conditions in Egypt’s jails and the ban on family visits amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

#BebaskanRavio: Free Ravio Patra and reveal the WhatsApp hackers
#BebaskanRavio: Free Ravio Patra and reveal the WhatsApp hackers 28 April 2020 Pitra Hutomo for Coconet

On April 22,  researcher and government critic Ravio Patra was arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia, not long after an attempt to protect his safety due to a WhatsApp privacy breach, prompting a larger discussion on the scale of authoritarian oppression in Indonesia. 

WOUGNET: Flattening the COVID-19 pandemic curve calls for a fight against misinformation and disinformation
WOUGNET: Flattening the COVID-19 pandemic curve calls for a fight against misinformation and disinformation 28 April 2020 Peace Oliver Amuge for WOUGNET

The Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) warns of the proliferation of COVID-19-related fake news on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as other ways in which misinformation is spread in rural areas.

Coconet: To fight COVID-19 in Myanmar, stop the war and internet shutdown in Arakan
Coconet: To fight COVID-19 in Myanmar, stop the war and internet shutdown in Arakan 27 April 2020 Kyaw Lynn for Coconet

The internet is the primary source of information on the global COVID-19 pandemic. But Arakan in western Myanmar is currently experiencing the longest-running internet shutdown in the world, and the lack of access to information could put an already vulnerable population in a dangerous situation. 

MMfD: New draft of data protection law will create a dangerous precedent
MMfD: New draft of data protection law will create a dangerous precedent 27 April 2020 Media Matters for Democracy

Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD) is concerned about the insertion of draconian and anti-democratic sections in the draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2020 that has been made public by the Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications. 

#KeepItOn: Open letter to the government of India on lifting internet restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir during COVID-19 pandemic
#KeepItOn: Open letter to the government of India on lifting internet restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir during COVID-19 pandemic 27 April 2020 Various

APC joined the #KeepItOn coalition and 41 international rights groups from around the world in an open letter urgently calling on the government of India to restore access to 4G high-speed internet access as a first step towards the containment of the COVID-19 virus and related health needs.

7amleh: Are YouTube’s policies biased against Palestinians?
7amleh: Are YouTube’s policies biased against Palestinians? 27 April 2020 7amleh

7amleh has released a new research report about YouTube’s violations of Palestinian digital rights, as part of a series that focuses on violations of Palestinian digital rights and digital discrimination against Palestinians by international technology companies.

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